Nov 8, 2026; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) passes the ball New York Jets during the third quarter at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images
Nov 8, 2026; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) passes the ball New York Jets during the third quarter at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The Kansas City Chiefs secured a huge win over a lesser rival. That's what winning teams do: Punch down on weaker opposition, especially when they're in great need of some momentum, like Andy Reid's team was.
However, this 35-12 win could've also ended in catastrophe. New York Jets star rookie edge rusher David Bailey got the best of fellow Texas Tech legend Patrick Mahomes when he walloped Mahomes for a sack that ended with Mahomes hitting his throwing elbow directly on Bailey's helmet with full force.
No. 15 pushed through the immense pain and finished the game, but the concerns remained. That's why, following the win, Mahomes made it loud and clear that he didn't intend to miss a second of playing time with that ailment.
Patrick Mahomes shuts down concerns about his elbow injury
"If I’m able to play, I’m gonna play," Mahomes said . "That’s part of the game. That’s part of playing. Obviously, it didn’t feel great, but I was able to kind of get it worked on a little bit, especially at halftime. I was able to go out there and play the rest of the game. You just never know what’s going to be the final result or outcome of an injury, but at the same time, you just try to let the doctors and trainers do their work."
That's music to Chiefs fans' ears. Mahomes going down means the Chiefs go down with him. Despite a solid backup in Justin Fields and an emergency option in rookie Garrett Nussmeier.
The harsh reality is that the Chiefs haven't done a good job of protecting the quarterback this season, and that's on the front office. Josh Simmons' saga keeps getting weirder, yet they didn't do anything of note to bolster the tackle position aside from a couple of very mediocre preseason trades.
Also, even if Fields and Nussmeier are good as backups, it's hard to believe they could do what Mahomes does with the talent — or lack thereof — the Chiefs have given him in the wide receiver corps.
Mahomes shouldn't have to do all of the heavy lifting, but here we are again. Of course, Kenneth Walker III has also alleviated the burden and taken plenty of weight off his shoulders, but this team's chances will ultimately come down to No. 15.
We've already seen this team play with and without him, and the difference is, well, abysmal. Hopefully, that big hit will be the wake-up call this team needs to realize they must take better care of their best player and future Hall of Famer.
David Bailey won't be the last elite pass rusher this team will come across this season, and they're playing with fire right now. Just because Mahomes seems to have been made in a lab and heals faster than Wolverine doesn't mean they should continue to push their luck.
Fortunately, this was just a scare, though elbow injuries can be tricky and tend to linger. Especially because it was on his throwing arm. Let's hope all checks out in the coming days.